The fingerprints of Pep Guardiola smudged across Arsenal’s team could be seen in plain sight.
His heir in north London, Mikel Arteta, is not the first to borrow from Guardiola’s tactical rationale. The influence goes back to the three years Arteta spent as Manchester City assistant manager after retiring from playing in 2016.
The Manchester City boss in recent times said: ‘He’s (Arteta) busy, I’m busy, but the affection and respect I have with him will remain for ever. He knows that.’
It is a strong connection which has created another ‘tinkerman’, as seen during the Gunners’ pre-season — the most opportune time to build strategic plans.